Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Buddhism - Essay Example Buddhism Introduction Buddhism is a common religion practiced throughout the world and is considered to be the fourth-largest religion, following Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Through extensive research via libraries and temples of worship and a personal interview with a practitioner of Buddhism, I will set out to discover more about Buddhism, as well as the similarities and differences that exist between Buddhism and Hinduism. After the needed information has been compiled, my intent is to allow the reader to understand the beliefs and practices of a Buddhist and to inform them of the differences between Buddhism and Hinduism in regard to beliefs, practices, days of observation and important figures in the religion, in addition to other important facts that make the religions what they are. Buddhism: An overview Buddhism, though recognized as a religion, is often considered to be more of a way of life and a philosophy rather than a religious path. The purpose of Buddhism is to f ind enlightenment and to discover a cure for human suffering. Many religions focus on seeking enlightenment through an outside force, deity or figure of worship, though Buddhism â€Å"held that our salvation from suffering lies only in our own efforts. The Buddha taught that in our understanding how we create suffering for ourselves we can become free (Fisher, 2005).† Buddha believed that since humans caused suffering they could also be the ones to find healing for themselves. The path to enlightenment was to be found within each individual and Buddha was the one to help lead people through their personal journeys. The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, is the founder and lead figure in Buddhism. Very little is known about Siddhartha, especially in regard to his birth due to historical fact being entangled with legend. It was predicted that Siddhartha would become a Buddha, a person who has supreme knowledge, and from a young age Siddhartha displayed his pot ential to this prophecy. The majority of Siddhartha’s childhood is spent learning meditation, warrior skills, archery and spiritual disciplines. As a prince, Siddhartha was sheltered from the harshness of life and never went without the physical luxuries of life. However, he was never â€Å"satisfied with the mere enjoyment of fleeting pleasures due to his inquiring and contemplative nature (Knierim, 2009).† One night, Siddhartha leaves his palace and wanders around, coming upon people that are suffering from old age and disease and succumbing to death. This was his first experience with reality and he became determined to do something about it, bringing about an extraordinary change to his life. Siddhartha gave up his life as a prince and left behind his palace and everything physical that he once held dear to him. He became like one of the men that he had seen the night he left the palace; he became without. Siddhartha spends most of his newfound free time mediating and searching for truth. During one particular meditation experience, he finds awareness of the Great Enlightenment, â€Å"which revealed to him the way of salvation from suffering (Knierim)†. It is then that he becomes a fully realized Buddha, prompting him to drop the name that he was given at the time of his birth. After